tyden



Patented Sept. 20, |898.

E. TYDEN.

SEAL.

(Application Bied Nov. 11, 1891) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

MWL

. No. 6|0,955. Patented Sept. 20, |898.

E. TYDEN.

SEAL.

(Appucmon mea Nov. 11, 1897.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. It?. 7.

lll Illlii MQneSe/S, A20 avendone tux' mums PETERS no, PHowuTMo., wAsmNaroN. nv r.

at a time of the serial number.

" lilirie l' EMIL TYDEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

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SPECIFICATION formingl part of Letters Patent No. 610,955, dated September 20, 1898.

' Application filed NOVSIDIJGT 1l, 1897. Serial No. 658,153- (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, EMIL TYDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, and State ,of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seal-Locks, which are fully set'forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

In the drawings, Figure l represents an ordinary hasp-bolt secured by my improved seal-lock. Fig. 2 is an edge elevation` of my improved seal-lock with the loop of the securing device broken away. Fig. 3 is a view of the same with the securing device in a slightly-different position. Fig. L is a view similar to Fig. 2 with the seal body or case cut away at the plane of the' line at 4 on Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a section at the line 5 5 on Figs. l and 7. Fig. 6 is a plan view with one plate of the case removed, showing the interior construction With the parts in position before the catch is sprung. Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6, but showing the parts in condition after the catch is sprung and the securing device is locked. Fig. 8 is a plan of the securing device detached from the body, the in! termediate portion of its length being broken away. Fig. 9 is an edge elevation similar to Fig. 2, but showing a modification in respect to the expedient for concealing one portion Fig. lO is a plan view of theform shown in Fig. 9 with one part removed corresponding to Figf?. Fig. 11 is an edge view, corresponding to Figs. 2 and 9, of a simple or common form of lead seal modified so as to involve my invention in respect to the means of concealing one portion at a time of the serial number. Fig. l2 is a section at the line 12 l2 on Fig. l1. Fig. 13 is an edge view, corresponding to Figs. 2, 9, and 11, of a self-locking seal of simple or common form of construction modified by the addition of features embodying my invention in respect to concealment of a portion of the serial number. Fig. let-is a section at the line 14.14 onFig. 13.

I have shown the leading feature of my invention appliedto vthree forms of seal-locks, or seals, `asy they are sometimes called. These three forms are shown in corresponding views in Figs. 2, 9, l1, and 13. The form shown in Fig 2 may be considered the leading form, the others being illustrated merely to show the scope of this feature of my invention and its applicability to a wide variety of forms of seals or seal-locks.

The formsof lock shown in Figs. 2 and 9 are substantially the same as to the locking devices, Fig. 9 involving a modification in the expedient relating to the principal feature. This principal feature of my invention is intended to remedy a defect in all seal-locks of this class heretofore introduced, so far as I am aware, which is that the securing device, usually a strap, of sheet metal, canA be out off close to the seal or seal-body, and afterward the severed end can be tucked into place, so as to cause the appearance ofy having been undisturbed, and it may'often be made to hold so tightly in place that the fact of its having been cut will not be observed when the person authorized to detach or rupture it applies the necessary force for that purpose. Thus the purposefor which such locks or seals are provided, which is to make it possible by observing the seal to discover Whether it has been tampered with, is measurably defeated. These seals are commonly used by railroads, express companies, and other common carriers and Warehousemen, and the securing devices or seals are impressed with a serial number or other arbitrary succession of characters, and at allpoints where they should be inspected the inspection is supposed to be insured and proven by the requirement that the inspector shall report the seals inspected bynumber. Such report, however, can be made without actually handling the seals, if` they have been tampered with in the manner above indicated, the securing device being placed in such Vmanner as to leave the numy ber in plain view, so that it is not absolutely` necessary for the inspector to take hold of it, or even if he isobliged to take hold of it he is not obliged to move or attemptto move the securing device with respect' to the seal or body and is therefore not obliged to perform any act whichwould detect. mutilation. I overcome this difficulty by constructing my improved seal-lockssoltliat thensrecuring device when it is properly locked has some range of movement with respect to the seal or sealbody, and so that the serial number or other IOO ' invention.

arbitrary succession of characters which the securing device bears cannot be entirely read without moving the securing device back and forth through or with respect to the seal or seal-body, and I make such movement necessary by providing the seal with a portion which may be called a guard, which conceals one or more characters of the serial number at all positions within the range of movement of the securing device permitted by the construction, but which discloses each character at some position within that range of movement. rlhe inspector is thus compelled to manipulate the lock in order to read the number and not only to pull the securing device, but to actually make it move. He is thus prevented from being deceived by any means which might be employed to resecure in the seal the end of the severed securing device.

I will first describe the form of my improved lock, which is shown in Figs. l to S, inclusive. I employ a flexible strap of sheet metal A for the securingr device. One end of this strap is secured to a chambered seal-body made up of two parts B and C, which, as

illustrated, are of sheet metal, s uitabl y shaped by dies to form a circular disk-like body portion C', and iiattened necks B and B2, extending therefrom in the direction of a diameter of the circular portion C'. The necks B and B2 are continuations of ribs B3 and C3, which extend diametrically across the two portions B and C of the body, such ribs being formed by striking up the metal from the inner side, forming grooves which become throats at the neck portion and constitute a complete open way diametrically through the seal-body. One end of the securing device A is made fast to the seal-body, and this is most conveniently done by extending it through the necks, lodging it in the groove of the rib B3, cutting it away at a at the portion which extends across the chamber of theseal-body, but leaving two lugs a' and a2 of the portion thus cut away, which are turned outward and bear against the peripheral wall of the circular chamber of the seal and. afford convenient means for soldering the securing device to the seal-bod y, and thus making it fast thereto. It will be understood that this means of fastening the securing device to the seal-body is preferential only, and any other means which does not cause it to obstruct the sealchamber will be equally consistent with my It will be noticed that the throatways through the necks are diminished by the thickness of the securin g end of the strap A, so that the throat proper is only the remainder of the space left after this end is thus lodged and secured.

The locking device which I prefer to employ is a spring-ring D, which normally coils, lapping its ends, as seen at d in Fig. 7. This locking device is in the construction of the lock lodged within the seal-body and provided with suitable means to hold it spread and -into the chamber at a suitable position to permit the ring to be stretched over them, as seen in Fig. 6. Most conveniently this is accomplished by providing the ring with slight irregularities at d d', which may lodge upon the ends ot' the ribs c c when the ring is spread so asto separate its ends, these irregularities being at the ends of a chord, not a diameter of the ring, so that the ring may be disengaged from it by merely being pushed in its plane of curvature. It is not essential, however, to maintain the ring spread that it should be engaged at a chord shorter than the diameter, because it will in any event spring off laterally upon being disturbed. The position indicated is therefore only preferential. The position of the ring when thus lodged on the detainers c c is such that the opening between its separated ends is in line withv the upper throat of the seal-body, and the unsecured end of the securing device A is adapted to be inserted through its throat and to pass down through the spread ends and is provided with a shoulder a2, which encounters the opposite side of the spring-ring D, opposite the separated ends, and dislodges the ring from the detainers c, whereupon the ring tends to close up and lap its ends, and the securing device has an aperture d3, located in such position that the ends of the spring enter through it while it is thus dislodged from the detainers, and thereby the securing device is locked in the seal-body. When thus locked, the reinserted end, which is reduced in width for a short distance, extending into the opposite throat may be pushed far enough forward to protrude therefrom below the seal body. The portion which may thus protrude bears one character of the serial number or other arbitrary succession of characters, the remainder of the serial number bein g impressed upon the securing device at the other side of the seal-body, but in such position that the neck at that side conceals one or more of the characters when the securing device is so far thrust through the body as to expose the character impressed upon the reduced end, as seen in Fig. 2, wherein the character 6 is shown upon the end and the characters 7 and 8 shown in dotted line and being concealed by the neck, other characters 4, 9, and 0 appearing exposed in all positions, though such additional characters might be absent without affecting the efficiency of the expedient. The only advantage of causing two characters to be inclosed by the neck, as illustrated, is that by this means the character exposed at the end may be completely concealed before the innermost of the two characters concealed by the neck begins IOO IIO

to be exposed. The same result would of course be effected by leaving a blank space where the character 8 is shown, and this is only an extra precaution to prevent the` possibility of correctly guessing at the iigures while they are partially exposed and to compel the movement of the securing device inall cases at least the distance allotted to one character.

In Figs. 9 and 10 I have shown a modification of this expedient, consisting in dispensing with 'the neck at the lower end of the seal-body and exposing one character through an aperture of the neck at the upper end. I have represented such aperture c4 near the base of the mechanismthat is, near to the body or circular portion-and the neck is extended beyond that portion suflicient to cover two characters. It will be understood that the locking device must be such as to permit to the securing device when locked4 the range of movement with respect to the seal-body necessary to conceal and disclose the characters, respectively. In Figs. l1 and 12 I have shown the adaptation of my invention to a seal which is not self-locking, but in which the securing device is made fast by means of a lead seal suitably impressed after the engagement is effected.

E is the lead seal, which is in construction made fast at c to one end of the securing device A, the other end of said securing device having the slot A10, through which the shaft c' of the seal, which is of the nature of a rivet, is inserted, the end of the laterally-formed lu g A11 on the end of the strap A, which has an aperture d10, being then folded up over the slotted end of the strap A, its aperture receiving the ends of the seal, which is then clenched or riveted down outside the seal, the condition, when sealed, being as seen in Figs. ll and 12. I adapt this form of seal device to my invention by forming the strap A with a loop or offset bend A12 near the end, which is secured to the seal, and slotting the offsets cl2 @L12 to permit the other end of the securing device to be passed through the same before it is engaged with the seal c. The longitudinal extent of this offset portion A12 is made sufficient to cover and conceal one or more of the characters of the serial number, and the slot L10 is elongated, so as to permit the longitudinal movement necessary to conceal and disclose these characters, and the characters'are so placed near the slotted end that' at one limit of the range of movement one character will appear between the seal and the offset A12 and one or more characters will be concealed under the oifset, while at the other limit of the movement the exposed character will become concealed and the concealed characters become exposed at the other side of the offset.

In Figs. 13 and 14 I have shown the application of the same expedient to a self-locking seal of simple construction, in which G is a chambered seal-body, A2 a securing device in the form of a iiexible strap of sheet metal, and I-I a locking device within the seal-body consisting of a spring-dog. One end of the strap A2 is secured within the seal-body,which has a neck through which the other end is adapted to be inserted into the chamber, said end having a slot A20, which the dog' I'I engages. The neck G' has an aperture G10, through which onecharacter (2) is exposed when the strap is at the innermost point, two characters (0 and 6) bein g then concealed within the neck. The slot A20 is long enough to permit the strap to be drawn out from the position described far enough to disclose the figures O and 6, 2 becoming concealed.

In respect to the catch, which is shown in the principal form, Figs. 1 and 7, it will be observed that the security which it affords is in large measure due to the fact that in distinction, for example, from the form shown in Fig. 14, which is of a familiar type, it is in the construction of the seal set under tension ready to react in locking relation to the securing device and not, as in the case of an ordinary spring-catch device like Fig. 14, in position to be put under tension by the insertion of the securing device and to react into locking position by the further insertion. The especial security which this method of construction affords will be appreciated upon considering that when the construction .is such that the insertion of the securing device is the means of putting the catch under tension there is necessary a stage in the action of locking the seal at which the condition of the catch produced by the act of securing the device is the one at which disengagement may be effected and that if this condition may be produced by the insertion of the securing device it may equally well be produced by the insertion afterward of any similar blade or edge, and it is only necessary, therefore, to sufficiently stretch the throat to admit such blade, however thin, in order to pick the lock, whereas, on the contrary, when, as in my device, the catch is necessarily forced into a disengageable position by any action which is performed in operating with the lock, but is only putin such disengageable position by the process of construction, (a process which could not be repeated without opening the sealbody,) this objectionable characteristic is avoided.

In my Patent No. 594,580, dated November 30, 1897, I have shown a lock embodying the same principle, with a different form of device for holding the catch under tension.

'In this application, however, I do not limit myself either to an unattached catch or to a catch which itself directly engages the strap or other securing device, since manifestly the same principle may be employed in a manner which shall not involve such direct engagement of these two parts in the locking action.

I claimrm 1. In a seal-lock, a securing device and a IOO IIO

device Whose rupture' or removal is necessary in order to unfasten the securing device, said lock comprising two relativelymovable parts and bearing on said parts a serial number or other arbitrary succession of characters, one or more of which is concealed at one position, and disclosed at another, in the range of relative movement of said parts.

2. In a seal-lock, a securing device and a device Whose rupture or removal is necessary in order to unfast-en the securing device, said lock comprisin g two relatively-movable parts and bearing on said parts a serial number or other arbitrary succession of characters, the range of relative movement of the parts and the location of the several characters thereon being such that at one position in said relative movement, a portion of said characters is concealed, and at another position in said movement, said portion is disclosed and another portion is concealed.

3. In a seal-lock, a securing device and a sealing or locking device adapted to retain it and yet allow it some range of movement, the lock bearing a serial number or other arbitrary succession of characters on one of the relatively-movable parts, the other of said parts being adapted at one position in the range of movement to conceal part of the characters.

4C. In a seal-lock, a securing device and a sealing or locking device adapted to retain it and yet allow it some range of movement, the lock bearing a serial number or other arbitrary succession of characters on one of the relatively-movable parts, the other of said parts being adapted to conceal part of the characters, and at another position to disclose the same and conceal the other part of the characters.

5. In a seal-lock, in combination with a body or case, a securing device adapted to be passed through the body or case and appear beyond it at both sides; a suitable locking4 or sealing device Whose rupture or removal is necessary in order to disengage the securing device, and a serial number or other arbitrary succession of characters, of Which one portion is in position to appear at one side of the seal body or case and another portion is in position to appear at the other side, said securing device vhaving a range of movement With respect to the case adapted to conceal at one limit one or more of the characters at one side, and at another limit one or more of the characters at the other side of the body or case.

body or case and a securing device, an elastically-operating catch lodged Within the sealchamber adapted to react into locking position, and a detainer Which holds the catch under tension ready to react upon being released, one of said parts being movable relatively to the other, and adapted to be actuated by the insertion of the securing device to eiect such release.

7. In a seal-lock, in combination with a body or case and a securing device; an elastically-operatingcatch in the form of a ring and abutments on the case which engage the same back of its ends to hold it with its ends spread apart and under tension ready to react into closed and locking position upon being released from the abutments, the securing device being adapted, upon insertion, to encounter the ring to eiiect such release.

In testimony Whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at Chicago, Illinois, this 6th day of November, 1807.

EMIL TYDEN.

6. In a seal-lock, in combination with the` 

